Article inspection method and machine



Nov. 20, 1945. B. WHITMORE ET AL 2,389,287

ARTI'CLE INSPECTION METHOD AND MACHINE Filed April '21, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 (\WWNL L* .J ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1942 1 INVENTORS Nov. 20, 1945. J. B. WHITMORE ET AL ARTICLE INSPECTION METHOD AND MACHINE Nov. 20, 1945.

J. B. WHITMORE ET AL.

ARTICLE INSPECTION METHOD AND MACHINE Filed April 21 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR EWCQMBE Au ILWWL ATTORN'EY Nov. 20, 1945 'J. B. WHITMORE ETAL E 2,389,237

ARTICLE INSPECTION METHOD AND MACHINE Filed April 21, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 20, 1945 ARTICLE INSPECTION METHOD AND MACHINE James B.

Whitmore, Bloomfield, William M'akenny, Mountain View, and Frank A. Newcombe, Nutley, N. J assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 21, 1942, Serial No. 439,892 (cl. 1'9s 33 7' Claims.

This invention relates to article inspection and more particularly to the inspection of lamp bases. One of the objects of the present invention is to facilitates the. inspection of bases for incandescent filament lamps.

' Another object is to provide a means operative to automatically feed a plurality of bases for incandescent filament lamps past a point of observation and automatically turn each said base for top and bottom observation.

Still another object is to provide means to feed a succession of lamp bases past a point of observation. and to automatically turn each said base so that all parts thereof may be observed. Other objects and advantages will be apparent vas the invention is more fully hereinafter disarrows;

Fig. 4 is an end view partly in section on the plane 44 of Fig 3, in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane 5-5 of Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the plane 6-6 of Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged plan, showing a portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the plane 88 of Fig. '7', in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view on the .plane 99, of Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a partly diagrammatic perspective view of the machine; and Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view on the plane -I Ill of Fig. 8, in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, an first considering Fig. 10, the lamp base inspection machine of the present invention comprises, in general, a pair of vibrating pans A and B sustained in end spaced relation in a plane inclined at an angle to the horizontal, the upper pan A being provided with a plurality of runways a and means H to feed lamp bases onto the pan A and distribute the same to the runways, and transfer means C at the bottom of each runway at to convey the bases to pan B and to deposit the same thereon in a position inverted with respect to the position of the same when they leave pan A.

Pansv A and B and transfer 'means' C may be mounted for vibration in a pluralit of different ways Without essential departure from the present invention. In the specific embodiment shown, pans A and B and transfer means C are mounted ona rectangular frame D, in the desired spacedi'relation, and the latter is supported at the corners by leaf spring members S1, S2, S3 and S4 projecting diagonally upward from base frame. F. The efficiency of the vibratory action Y for effecting movement of the bases along the pans and transfer means is increased when havthe size of the lamp base and with variations in the rate of travel desired,'as one skilled in the art will perceive.

In the inspection of lamp bases of the type shown, the: interior and; exterior surfaces must be examined for imperfections. Manual inspection. of the bases requires the services of a large number of persons and heretofore no machine has been provided which delivers bases in. alignment past a point of observation and mechanically performs an inverting operation so that all parts of the bases may be inspected at a desired location. The present invention accomplishes this desired result;

'Inthe specific embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive, and II, the lamp bases E are fed from base storage hopper H by means of inclined belt feeder I! to distributor P which is mounted on frame D to be vibrated with pans A and B and transfer means C, The distributor P desirably carries channel members 1) to" deflect some of the bases E laterally and provide for an even distribution thereof to the pan A. The bottom of the distributor P is formed by a plate 13 overlying the upper portions of runways a in pan A and supported by member I4 to be vibrated with frame D.

The bases are allowed to fall from the feeder l2 onto distributor plate l3 a sufficient distance so iere eab yrm r ntis theieer and bottom; enddowny-the bottom end 3 being the heaviere'ri'd; "and are dischargefl from 'plate ['3 into runways a bottom end down, and thus move 1 1. A lamp base inspection device comprising a down said runways t means C.

Transfer means C comprises a plurality ob-4P spiral turn-over chutes, one for each runwayfi a, which bridge the gap between end spaced pans A and B, as shown ir'r Figs. 7,18; and- 11.

helically curved strips 20. Thejspacingibetween. opposite strips corresponds-Twiththe overall;

width and height of a base of the kind to be and departures are contemplated as may fall within the "scopecf the appended claims.

We claim:

pairof pans means supporting the pans in end spaced relation in a plane inclined to the horizontal, the upper one of said pans being provided H I with-- a plurality of runways extending in the Preferably, each chute 20 consists of fourmetal a i inspected, with only enough clearance to allow free passage of the bases, without allowing them to rotate therebetween. They thus provide a passage, generally squarein section, the sides of which a'redefined by the strips 20, which passage" gradually turns, so that there is a reversal or difference of'l80-'=between its ends. Thespacing' between'the strips-20 is -suflicient to provide I for visual inspection of the sides of the base as it iswib'rationallyconductedalong the chute and inverted in the manner indicated in Fig. 8. Immediately below'means'C; deflector plates 2! are provided to conduct foreign matter such as glass fragmentsfallingthrough said means to bin 22, as shown in Fig; 6.- Deflector-plates 2| are preferablysecured to extensions 23 of base frame F. The electrically energized 1 A3 ax mechanical vibrator'V' of'rthe present embodiment of my invention'is 'old 'in the art: As shown in Fig. 4, it consists ofan electric motor mounted on frame F for'driving shaft 31 on the end of which is a drive p'ulley 32 connected by belt'33 to driven pulley. 34' of the'mechanical vibrator V; The latter-"i's connected to bracket 35 of frame F throughcross bars 3'6 and 3'! to vibrate the same, 'the period of :vibration being determined by the adjustment of rotating weights. The vibrations -0fthe means V are transmitted to frame D and thence to pans A andB, transfer means C, and other parts on frame D.

' After the bases E are moved to the end of pan '3 they are discharged therefrom into laterally converging inclined chutes 40 which deliver them to receptacle 4|.

Two inspectors on opposite sides of the device, standingor sitting in front of arm tests and 42'; can inspect the bases or other articles when inone'positi'on (if bases are'inspe'cted, 'most of themwill-first be viewed open end up), continuously. passing alongrunways a to transfer means C,iandagain after-reversal of position on pan B, removingidefective.basessand depositing the same into-one-ofthereceptacles 43, 44, 45, 43, 44' -45' r "-f rs-The Width-and length of vibrating pans A and B, the space gap therebetween' and length of 'transi'er means Cymay be varied without essenti'ardeparturefrom the present invention, as may also-the-- means for feeding bases E onto pan A.

- Iirgeneral, the length of pan A should be suffimember. i

direction of inclination, and a plurality of helical guides, one for each said runway, bridging the space between said pans to receive bases from the upper pan while reversing their positions and 4 w2rf'Ihe combination of can: 1, in which the meanssupportingthe pans comprise :a frame on which 'saidpan's are-mounted in the desired end spaced relation inclined ito'the'horizontal; and the'meanszto vibrate the pans includes the combination of spring :means supporting the frame with respect to? abase frame, andipowerlimeans mounted on saidsupporting frame; the said power means being'arrangedto impart vibrational impulses causingthe bases totravelin' the direction of pan inclination.

2H3. :In: a 'lamp'vbase inspection device; an inclined member 'providedwith a pluralityiofrunways-extending in the direction of'inclination, .an inclined plane" surfaced membensustained in spaced relation to the first member, a :helical guide for each runway bridging: the distance betweenthe spaced ends'of' said membe'rsto convey -basesr traversing the runways to' the said second member and deliver the same thereon inverted with respect to the positions onentering the said guides, leaf springs the lower ends of which are'fiXed-and the upper-*ends of which are supportingly connected to said members and guides, and power means to flex said springs and vibrate the said members and guides thereon in the direction of inclination, thereby to'progressively urge bases deposited in said runways through the "said guides and onto said second 4. An inspection device comprising a support, a plurality of leaf springs secured to-and inclined upwardly therefrom; a frame suppor-tedly secured to the upper ends of said springs, vibrator means mounted onsaid frame, a pair of inclined pans supported on said frame and spaced apart; the vupper'of; said pans being divided-by" partitions into a plurality of descending runways,'-a helical guide: for; each runway for inverting'lar'np bases,

or other articles, received therefromand transporting them to the lower pan, and a distributor mounted'ontheupper'endportion of said upper pan for receiving bases, onother articles, to be inspected; and properly feeding them to said runways, said distributor', pansy and helical guides being rigid with respect to said frame so as to be vibrated therewith, the pansbeing inclined in the direction of inclination'of-said'leaf springs, but-not as steeply, wherebythe vibration of the latter ;is-moreefiective for moving 'saidbases along said pans and helical guides;

.5. An inspectiondev-ice comprisinga support,

- a plurality of leaf springs secured to-and inclined upwardly therefrom, a framesupportedly secured to the upper ends of saidsprings, vibrator means mounted on said frame, power means mounted on said support, drive means from said power means to said vibrator means, a pair of inclined pans supported on said frame and spaced apart, the upper or said pans being divided by partitions into a plurality of descending runways and its lower end being above the upper end of said lower pan, a helical guide for each runway for inverting lamp bases, about axes alined with their direction of travel, received therefrom and transporting them to the lower pan, and a distributor mounted on the upper end portion of said upper pan for receiving bases to be inspected, and properly feeding them to said runways, said distributor, pans, and helical guides being rigid with respect to said frame so as to be vibrated therewith, the pans being inclined in the direction of inclination of said leaf springs, whereby the vibration of the latter is more effective for moving said bases along said pans and helical guides.

6. An inspection device comprising a support, a. plurality of leaf springs secured thereto, a frame supportedly secured to the upper ends of said springs, vibrator means mounted on said frame, a pair of inclined pans supported on said frame and longitudinally spaced apart, helical guide means extending longitudinally between said pans for inverting lamp bases or other arti cles received from the upper pan and transport-' ing them to the lower pan, said pans and helical guides being rigid with respect to said frame so as to be vibrated therewith, and power means for driving said vibrator means.

7. An inspection device comprising a support, a plurality of leaf springs secured thereto, a frame supportedly secured to upper ends of said springs, vibrator means mounted on said frame, a pair of inclined pans supported on said frame and spaced apart, helical guide means connecting the lower end of one pan with the upper end of the other for receiving lamp bases from said first mentioned pan, inverting them, and discharging them into the other pan, said pans and helical guides being rigid with said frame so as to vibrate therewith, and power means for operating said vibrator means to cause the desired movement of said bases through the device.

JAMES B. WHITMORE. WILLIAM MAKENNY. FRANK A. NEWCOMBE. 

